“Paris is always a good idea.” – Audrey Hepburn
“To know Paris is to know a great deal.” – Henry Miller
“Whoever does not visit Paris regularly will never really be elegant.” -Honoré de Balzac
Our long awaited family holiday
Although ‘We’ll always have Paris’, refers to a famous line in the iconic film, ‘Casablanca’ which has now developed into a cliché, to me it is a phrase that captivates the heart and the imagination, because, no matter what, Paris is Paris and whoever has visited it knows that there is no other city like it- What a place! Fabulously mesmerising on so many levels – it is truly the city of love and light – a city that is associated with romance and lovers. Paris the must see city that has certainly captured my heart.
Spending a couple of days in Paris and another couple in Disneyland with our family friends, made this family holiday a win win for all. The children were great and allowed us to live the whole Paris experience and pack in as much as we could.
The Louvre
The grandeur of Paris was seen and admired on foot. We walked and walked till our legs ached to ensure that we stuck to our detailed plans of doing and seeing everything on our itinerary. Having the weather on our side, we had two glorious days of a Parisian summer and it was hypnotising. We combined sightseeing and, of course, good quality food and enough walking to last a lifetime. The kids thoroughly enjoyed this whole experience and made the most of everything, we were all mesmerised with the architecture, buildings, statues, parks, sights, streets and the River Seine. The symbol of France, The Eiffel Tower a tribute to engineering was breath-taking!
The sights/ avenues: Place de la Concorde, Champs–Élysées, Avenue George V, Avenue Montaigne, La tour Eiffel, Saint–Honoré, La cathédrale Notre–Dame, Saint Germain, Musée du Louvre, Bateaux Mouches ( a river cruise on the Seine)
The dining experience (even though we had a party of 7 kids with us): Le Grande Colbert,Hotel Costes, L’ Avenue, Ralph’s, Miss Ko
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- L’ Avenue
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- Ralph’s
Hotel Costes
Miss Ko
The hotel: Saint James Albany Paris
One of the reasons the kids were probably on their best behaviour in Paris was their anticipation of going to the magical kingdom of Disney Land. I don’t think they had any idea what was in store for them but it was indeed everything and more than what they expected. It was the place where children’s dreams come true. Parks, rides, shopping, parades, shows, fireworks, Disney characters popping up here and there, the junkiest of junkiest food – they were in their element.
They had two full days binging on all food banned at home, solid entertainment, late nights and all the thrills of the fair – a fair that superseded their wildest imagination. It is every child’s dream come true.
I, on the other hand got through this ‘ordeal’ even though I was ready to slit my wrists by the second day. Someone told me two days at Disney was nowhere near enough time to live it all. Believe me, us adults had enough to last us a lifetime but of course the kids wanted more. More and more.
All in all, our combo of a holiday was as tiring as it was spectacular. Paris was out of this world, exceptional and magical and our kids say the same about Euro Disney! Each to their own 😉
